Judge denies Sanders’ bond reduction request

COLUMBIA — The request to reduce Daniel Sanders' $250,000 bond was denied Wednesday by Boone County Circuit Judge Gene Hamilton, according to Missouri Case.net. Sanders, 19, is charged with tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution after Columbia police pulled him over on Aug. 14 and found his mother's body in the trunk of the car he was driving. He is also considered a suspect in the ongoing death investigation.

Sanders' attorney Christopher Slusher requested the bond reduction at an arraignment Monday in Boone County Circuit Court. Slusher argued that the high bond does not match the crime for which Sanders is charged.

The prosecution asked the judge not to reduce the bond, calling Sanders a flight risk because he has no ties to the community and could still be charged with more serious crimes. At the time, Hamilton said he would take the request under advisement. His decision Wednesday means Sanders will remain in the Boone County Jail for the time being.

Police are investigating the possibility that his mother, 53-year-old Helen Sanders, drowned in a bath tub in her home. Preliminary results from an autopsy released on Aug. 19 showed that Helen Sanders had a significant amount of fluid in her lungs, several broken ribs and a broken sternum.

The Boone County Medical Examiner's Office, however, was waiting for the results of toxicology tests before determining a cause of death. Daniel Sanders' trial date will be scheduled on 9 a.m. Monday.